Wood grinder



Dec. 30, 1930. W'. THALER 157363679 WOODGRINDER Filed Jan. 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR /ffo ATTORNEY Dec. 3o, 1930. w THALER 1,786,679

WOODGRINDER Filed Jan. 2l, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1930i unire" sfrarss ,WHillel-KEI;.lfdy THALER, OF HEIDENHEIM-ON-THE-BRENZ, GERMANY, ASSGNOBTO AMERI- CAN VOITI-I CONTACT COMPANY,VINCORPORATED, F NEW YORKN. Y., A COHPOIRA-` TION OF NEW 'YORKk yVVDOD GRIN DER n Application led January 21, 1926.V Serial No. 82,649.

This invention relates to woodgrinders and morer particularly to chain guiding means utilized therein and has for its obj ect to provide means whereby the eilective operation of the chains of woodgrinders can be brought closer tothe grindstone than heretofore. A further object is to vprovide improvements in the guiding meansfor the chains, and in the chains themselves. A y

Heretofore, the lower ends of the contiiiuouschains were guided by the sprocket wheels in such a manner that the elective operation of the chains on the logs terminated some ldisvio tance above the grindstone, so that thelogs from the time oi-theirleavingthe chains until reaching the grindstone were free from the direct ei'ect 'of the chains, though compacted indirectly against the grindstone. lnthe` grind ers heretofore proposed, the ychain would move with the sprocket outwardly from the substantially verticalst'raight magazine wall and follow its contouruntil it vertically returns in its upward" movement.` By this lturning vof the chain alongthe sprocket, the

cha-iii would be delected in such a manner that the space between the opposite chains would be first increased and s then again decreased This increase of the width of the eliective magazine space had thek disadvantage inf decreasing the pressureA upon thelogs at a' peint where most. highly desirable. A

Jfurther objection was that the chain could not, diiey to the vrequired largediameterot the lsprocket, be brought close lenough to the stone. f v f The chain in accordance with my invention is ,guided immediately" above and immediately below the lower Vsprocket in a guide, so thatt'he'chain in this guided part acts in ef- 40 feet as; a rack. Thereby it is possible, to have the chain extend considerably below the centerV line of the sprocket, Ythe sprocket acting as apinion engaging the rack. The chain while subjected above the sprocket rack engaging teethto a pulling action is subjected below the sprocket rack engaging teethl t o a pressure action.` The part of the chainacting as 'a'rack,and extending below and beyond the sprocket rack engaging teeth in continu-k ationot the vertical straightline effect of the major portion of the chain, extends close to the grindstone and translates its effective ope` eration to the logs inclose proximity to the grindstone. The links 'of the chain are ythen given an outward angularmvement so that the efective disengagement of the spikes or wedges of the links of the `chainout of the logs rapidly and etliciently takes place. n one embodiment this is accomplished by giving the chain guiding means an angular configuration to permit the angular.rearwardy movement of the links away from the logsJ To insure a secure conduct 'of the chain around 'the rather sharpened angular deflecf tion, the ascending part of the chaii'iy is movedby the sprocket and that portion which is below the sprocket is guided bymeans. of rollers, whereby lthe proper rre-engagement oft; the teeth of the sprocket and the links ofthe chain is insured notwithstanding that the teeth Vof the sprocket and chain were disengaged forl atime. Y y The invention comprises further the, stepy in the art ofhaving the lowermost horizon tal line connecting opposite points of the chains at the lowermost effective operative points, in linewith or below the hcrizontalk tangent lof the uppermost part of the grindu stone,pand maintaining this relation substan-y tiallyA throughout the operation ofy the grinder.

i The invention will be more rully described hereinafter, embodiments shown in the drawings and finally pointed outk in they claims. y

Figure f1 is a sectional side view 'of the lower portion or" a standard grinder having my improvements embodied therein.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, enlarged, A*

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the 1 old chainV and its action during the operation of the grinder.

Similar letters or" references indicate corresponding parts.

ln the drawings, the sprocket shaft 10 with sprocket 11 and endless chains 12 disposed at opposite sides of a magazine 13 is well known.

At the lower sprockets 11, stationary abutments 15 having their magazine facing sides flush with the magazine wall, are provided, which extend a short distance above the sprocket and a short distance below the sprocket as shown in the lett hand side ot Figure 1. These abutments in the embodiments shown in the drawings have guidegrooves 16, for the reception ot rollers 1"( on the pins 18 o1" the chains. rllie sprocket facing side of each abutment 15, has a curved portion 19 forming a detlecting guideway 20 roi' the rollers. This is so arranged that the teeth 11 ot' the sprocket 10 properly engage the pins 18 of the chain ai'ter the teeth have been free of the chain tor a time.

The pins 18 carry side links 22 and 23.

The side links 22 extend outwardly and are provided with plates 24 upon which spikes.

25 are arranged in a manner 'ell known. Instead of spikes, wedges of desired shapes can be provided. These side links 22 and 23 and plates 24 form a novel chain.

The lower part or' the abutment may also be provided with a curved guiding portion 26, as shown in Figure 5.

By guiding the links ot the chain between the guideways 3() of the abutment 15, these links of the chain act in the nature ot a rack, in that they are temporarily held rigid in respect to each other.

the links below the sprocket teeth are pressed and thereby the pressure is translated to the spikes or wedges and hence to the logs. The extended rack action by virtue of the depending guide 19 below the sprockets enables the eilective action of the chains to be brought down in closer proximity Ato the grindstone 9 than heretofore. rl`he required strength and commensurate massiveness ot the sprocket prevented a closer approach of the effective action ot the chains to the grindstone heretofore, and the provision of the depending abutment guiding the chains makes this now possible.

lVhile the effective action of the chains due to the use of sprockets merely was on a substantially horizontal line above a line corresponding` to the horizontal tangent to the upper portion of the stone periphery, the effective action is now brought to a point in the magazine substantially in line with that of said horizontal tangent of the grindstone and preferably below the same.

This is clearly seen by the line 31-31 in Figure 5 which substantially horizontally The links above the` sprocket teeth are pulled as heretofore, butr connects the two opposite points oitlie chains corresponding to the lowermost ell'ective actions thereoli; and this in Figure 1 is substantially the horizontal line tangential with the uppermost peripheral portion or the grindstone 9. As the grindstone wears away its diameter decreases and thus it enters more and more into the magazine shaft and thereby the tangential line is above the connecting line 31-31 of the lowermost effective actions ol" the chains.

Preferably I arrange the depending guiding member 19 in one piece with the abutment 15, as is seen in Figure 2 and preierably also I provide the member in the Ytorni shown in Figures 1 and 5; giving re-entrant angular configuration as shown at 32 in F iguros 1 and 5. Preferably also I provide the part 19 as an end piece below the shai't.

In the right hand side ot Figure 1 and in Figure 4 it will be seen that the sprocket teeth 11 below the sprocket shaft 10 do not engage the pinsot the chains, as these are being pushed downwardly racktashion between the guides 15, and the stress so obtained is utilized during this period ot disengagement until the teeth again engage the chains at therear of the sprockets. The configuration of the guiding plate 19-32 is such that an accurate re-meshiiig again takes place.

A suitable partition 5() forming the bottom and linger bar for the pocket is interposed between the lower line ot the chain and grindstone.l The line ot' moven'ient of the points ot' the spikes oi' wedges is shown by the dashdot-dash line 51 of Figure 5.

ln Figure 6, I have shown diagrammatically the pathk oie movement oiC the chains with the old sprockets without guiding means. will be noted that the chain first goes in at 84 and then so much further out at 35. A loss in effective action results. This is overcome by the positive guiding means provided by my improvement.

in F," re 3, l have shown an improved means 'for lubricating the pins and chain links. The pin 18 having its rollers 17 has a. central bore 38 with a right angled channel 39. A screw threaded cap 40 with hollow portion and a screw threaded closure 42 is adaptedA to lill the bore 38 with lubricant. The pin 18 has a longitudinal groove 43 and the tubular member 44 has openings 45. The lubricant can thereby flow so as to be in contact with the bearing portions of the links 22 and 23.

I have shown an embodiment but it is clear that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as new:

1. In a continuous grinder having upper and lower chain sprocket wheels, chain guiding means, including a fixed guide member for guiding the` chain in a Substantially straight line relation below thelower sprocket vthe wood immediately preceding its contact wheel and in close proximity to the grindwith the grinding wheel.

stone.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 2. In a continuous grinder having a chain, my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

a sprocket for the chain, and a grindstone disposed below the axis of the sprocket; means extending below the periphery of the sprocket -for guiding the chain in a straight line relation between the sprocket and grindstone.

3. In a continuous grinder having a chain, a sprocket for the chain, and a grindstone;

means for guiding the chain between theV sprocket and grindstone, said means comprising guideways for'the chains extending above and below the sprocket, and rigidly forming the guided portion of the chains rackfashion to be pulled and pushed by the sprocket.

Ll. In a continuous grinder, chain guiding means compris-ing abutment-s forming guideways for the chains, said abutments extend-v ing above and below the lower sprocket, angular deflecting portions in said abutments shaped to permit the re-engagement of the teeth Vof the sprocket with the chain after temporary disengagement therefrom.

5. In a continuous grinder, chain guiding means formed of abutments having guideways for holding a portion of the chain yrelatively stiff during its travel along the lower sprocket and below the same.

6. In a continuous grinder, chains consisting of transverse pins, connectingy links of wedge shape connecting saidlinks at their n ,1 outer ends, plates on said links and spikes on at their outer ends, spikes on said plates, and

means for lubricating said pins and links.

8. In a continuous grinder, abutments in y line with the inner walls of the magazine walls, guideways in said abutments substantially parallel with said magazine walls, and extending above and below the lowermost sprocket, angular deiiecting g'uideways in said abutment, and roller chains guided by said guideways from above and below the sprocket.

9. In a continuous grinder, a grinding wheel, upper and lower sprockets, a chain trained over said sprockets, and means extending below said lower' sprocket to rigidly sustain the chain in the form of a rack and in close proximity to the grinding wheel.

l0. In a continuous grinder having upper and lower sprockets and chains to press the wood to be ground into contact with a grinding wheel, spikes on kthe chains adapted to engage the wood to be ground, and means to guide the chains extending below the lower chain sprocket into close proximity to the grinding wheel and to cause the spikes to be rapidly withdrawn from engagement withy WILHELM THALER. 

